U.S.: Raid Yielded 'Real Intel'

CNN reports:

The initial review of the materials confiscated from Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan has found mostly "aspirational" planning but has yielded "real intelligence," according to a U.S. official.

The official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said it is still very early in the review, and there are still a lot of data to sort through to determine whether there are any concrete plots.

The special task force set up to examine the data has two initial goals, according to the official: check to see whether there are any imminent threats against the U.S. and find leads to other terrorists or plots.

The reviewing team is running around the clock, according to the official. The task force assigned to scour the seized material is run by the CIA, with dozens of representatives from throughout the intelligence community working 24/7, searching for clues.

Most of the team is poring over the digital, audio and video files as well as printed and handwritten materials from an undisclosed location in the Washington area, but some of the members are participating virtually.

The effort to decipher the data is time-consuming because much of it has to be translated, some is handwritten, and large digital files have to be transferred.

A senior U.S. intelligence official said Saturday that the materials seen so far appeared to show that bin Laden had a "continuing interest in transportation and infrastructure targets." But there is no indication of any specific plot to attack those targets.